S. R. Bommai

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Somappa Rayappa Bommai

| image = Somappa Rayappa Bommai 132.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1924|06|06}}

| birth_place = Karadagi, Bombay Presidency, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2007|10|10|1924|06|06}}

| death_place = Bangalore, Karnataka, India

| office = Union Minister of Human Resource Development

| term_start = 5 June 1996

| term_end = 19 March 1998

| predecessor = Atal Bihari Vajpayee

| successor = Murli Manohar Joshi

| constituency = Orissa (Rajya Sabha)

| primeminister = H. D. Deve Gowda
I. K. Gujral

| office1 = 4th Chief Minister of Karnataka

| term_start1 = 13 August 1988

| term_end1 = 21 April 1989

| predecessor1 = Ramakrishna Hegde

| successor1 = President's rule

| constituency_AM4 = Hubli Rural

| assembly4 = Karnataka Legislative

| term_start4 = 1978

| term_end4 = 1989

| predecessor4 = G. Rangaswamy Sandra

| successor4 = G. Rangaswamy Sandra

| constituency3 = Karnataka

| term_start3 = 3 April 1998

| term_end3 = 2 April 2004

| successor3 =

| office2 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

| constituency2 = Odisha

| term_start2 = 2 July 1992

| term_end2 = 2 April 1998

| successor2 =

| party = All India Progressive Janata Dal (2002-2007)

| otherparty = *Janata Dal (United) (1999–2002)

Janata Dal (1993–1999)
Samajwadi Janata Party (1990–1993)
Janata Party (1977–1990)
Indian National Congress (Organisation) (1972–1977)
Radical Democratic Party (1940){{Cite web|title=S. R. Bommai|url=http://www.kla.kar.nic.in/council/members/EXMEMBERS/SRBommai.htm|access-date=2021-08-17|website=www.kla.kar.nic.in}}

| spouse = Gangamma

| children = 4; including Basavaraj Bommai

| occupation =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Somappa Rayappa Bommai (6 June 1924 – 10 October 2007) was an Indian Politician who was the 4th Chief Minister of Karnataka. He was also the Human Resource Development Minister in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998.{{cite web|title = List of former Ministers in charge of Education/HRD|url = http://hrm.mhrd.gov.in/ministers|publisher = Government of India|access-date = 5 April 2015|archive-date = 18 October 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018042458/http://hrm.mhrd.gov.in/ministers|url-status = dead}} He is widely remembered as the champion for the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, S. R. Bommai v. Union of India.{{cite web|title = As Basavaraj Bommai rises, how his father changed the course of Indian politics| date=29 July 2021 |url = https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/as-basavaraj-bommai-rises-how-his-father-changed-the-course-of-indian-politics-101627534313130.html|publisher = Hindustan Times}}{{cite news|title = What is the S.R. Bommai case, and why is it quoted often?|url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-the-sr-bommai-case-and-why-is-it-quoted-often/article23929119.ece|work = The Hindu| date=18 May 2018 }}{{cite web|title = Bommai verdict: A law for all time| date=August 2021 |url = https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/in-perspective/bommai-verdict-a-law-for-all-time-1015309.html|publisher = Deccan Herald}}

His son Basavaraj Bommai became the Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2021 making them only the second father and son duo after H. D. Devegowda and H. D. Kumaraswamy to become the Chief Ministers of Karnataka.{{cite web|title = Basavaraj Bommai to be latest in father-son duo club to occupy CM's chair|url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/basavaraj-bommai-to-be-latest-in-father-son-duo-club-to-occupy-cms-chair/articleshow/84800127.cms|work = The Times of India}}

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Early life and political career

S. R. Bommai was born on 6 June 1924 in a Sadar Lingayat family at Karadagi village of Shiggaon taluk of the then undivided Dharwad District. He took part in the Quit India movement of 1942. He also played an active role in the unification (Ekikarana in Kannada) of Karnataka which had been spread among Mysore kingdom, Bombay Presidency, Hyderabad, and Madras Presidency, during the British rule.{{cite news|title=Bommai receives Ekikarana Award|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/10/stories/2007011008050500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001011111/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/10/stories/2007011008050500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 October 2007|newspaper=The Hindu|date=10 January 2007}}

A lawyer by profession, he was elected to the Karnataka Legislative assembly many times from the Hubballi rural constituency and was also a member of the Karnataka Legislative council from 1972 to 1978.

He along with Ramakrishna Hegde, J. H. Patel and H. D. Deve Gowda was instrumental in the Janata Party forming a government in Karnataka for the first time in 1983.{{cite web|title=Former CM S R Bommai - the Man, Life and Career|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/printer.asp?nid=38998|publisher=Daijiworld}} He was given the portfolio of Industries in the Ramakrishna Hegde government. After Hegde quit on moral grounds, Bommai took charge as Chief Minister on 13 August 1988 and his government was dismissed by the then Governor, P. Venkatasubbaiah, on 21 April 1989 on the grounds that his government had lost its majority following large-scale defections engineered by several Janata Party leaders. Bommai had sought some time from the Governor to prove his majority on the floor of the Legislature and he was denied this. He challenged this order in the Supreme Court.{{cite news|title=S.R. Bommai passes away|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/11/stories/2007101155711200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011220918/http://hindu.com/2007/10/11/stories/2007101155711200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2007|newspaper=The Hindu|date=11 October 2007}}

S. R. Bommai was the president of Karnataka state unit until the state unit got merged with Janata Dal in 1993 before 1994 Karnataka Assembly elections.{{Cite magazine|author=SARITHA RAI |date=July 31, 1993 |title=Ramakrishna Hegde and H.D. Deve Gowda patch up in Karnataka|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19930731-ramakrishna-hegde-h-d-deve-gowda-patch-up-in-karnataka-811370-1993-07-31|access-date=2021-08-17|magazine=India Today|language=en}}

''S. R. Bommai v. Union of India'' case

S. R. Bommai v. Union of India was a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, where the Court discussed at length, the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India and related issues. The apex court spelt out restrictions on the centre's power to dismiss a state government under Article 356.{{cite web|title=S.R. Bommai vs Union Of India on 11 March, 1994|url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/141126788/|publisher=Indian Kanoon}} This case had huge impact on Centre-State Relations. Instances of imposition of President's rule have reduced after this judgement.{{cite web|title=Protecting secularism and federal fair play|url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1422/14220170.htm|publisher=Frontline}}

Bommai was National president of the Janata Dal from 1990 to 1996. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha, two times in 1992 and 1998.{{cite web|title=Bommai, Oscar and Naidu will make it to RS from Karnataka|url=http://inhome.rediff.com/news/1998/mar/17rsk.htm|publisher=Rediff on the net}} In 1996, he became the Union minister for Human resource development in the United Front government and served with both the prime ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral. In 1999, after the Janata Dal split, he sided with the JD(U) faction and later formed the All India Progressive Janata Dal in 2002, as a platform for merger of different factions of Janata Dal.{{cite news|title=Janata Dal leader Bommai floats new party|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-12-11/bangalore/27326879_1_new-party-s-r-bommai-new-outfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203060623/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-12-11/bangalore/27326879_1_new-party-s-r-bommai-new-outfit|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=11 December 2002}}{{cite news|title=JD factions float All-India Janata Dal|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-12-11/bangalore/27293850_1_bommai-new-outfit-jd-factions|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203062852/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-12-11/bangalore/27293850_1_bommai-new-outfit-jd-factions|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=11 December 2002}} However, after large scale defections, the weakened party was finally merged with JD(U).{{cite news|title=AIPJD agrees to merge with JDU|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-03-12/bangalore/28323449_1_aipjd-india-progressive-janata-dal-assembly-seats|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203062620/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-03-12/bangalore/28323449_1_aipjd-india-progressive-janata-dal-assembly-seats|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=12 March 2004}}

He died on 10 October 2007, aged 84.{{cite news|title=S R Bommai passes away|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-11/bangalore/27968920_1_s-r-bommai-janata-parivar-union-minister|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203063038/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-11/bangalore/27968920_1_s-r-bommai-janata-parivar-union-minister|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=11 October 2007}} His one son, M.S. Bommai is an industrialist in Bengaluru, and the other Basavaraj Bommai inherited his political legacy and went on to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 28 July 2021.